The next Brussels Development Briefing will take place on the 22 February 2012 and will be organised in partnership with the African Union Commission, the European Commission (DG DEVCO) the ACP Secretariat, Concord and various media partners. The Briefing will provide an overview of the main challenges affecting the pastoralists, especially in the ACP countries, and the opportunities provided by existing continental and regional policy frameworks and processes. It will then focus on sharing good practices and experiences from the field across regions. We will also identify what urgent and concrete policy actions need to be in place to increase support pastoralism. The Briefing will be fully webstreamed in English and French. To see the programme (revised) to register for the Briefing and to follow the webstream on22 February (from 8h30 a.m. to13.00 p.m. CET) please visit brusselsbriefings.

The European Commission recommends a greater focus in trade and investment policies in favour of countries most in need. According to this, EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht has recently stated: "The rise of emerging economies like India, China and Brazil shows that trade-driven development is possible and that open markets can play a major role in generating growth. Yet those trailing behind need help". Moreover Commissioner de Gutch has added: “World tariffs have never been this low and the EU already offers very favourable market access to poor countries. What will make a difference are non-tariff issues - such as standards, services, intellectual property rights, public procurement, infrastructure and packaging facilities. None of this can work without political governance." The Communication "Trade, growth and development", redefines how the EU's trade and development policy will work for the development of those poorer countries - in particular, Least Developed Countries (LDCs) - ensuring they can increasingly enjoy its benefits.

The priorities of Denmark's Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers has been presented to European Parliament committees by Danish ministers this week. According to Trade and Investment Minister Pia Olsen Dyhr, the EU's international trade policy, should focus on achieving immediate export and investment gains, rather than on long-term and strategic projects such as the WTO Doha negotiations.As specific priorities, Ms Dyhr listed getting better market access for EU exports to Brazil, Russia, India and China, making progress in negotiating a free trade agreement with India, and starting negotiations for another with Japan. Furthermore, Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Mette Gjerskov told the Agriculture Committee that "together we shall lay the foundation for the house that is going to be future CAP”. The new EU farm policy should be "suited for the future" and tailored to "the changing needs, priorities and expectations of European farmers, citizens and taxpayers". The Presidency will press for progress on the food quality package, take a closer look at the rise of antimicrobial resistance and start discussion on soon-to-be-introduced proposals on organic production and the new EU animal welfare strategy unveiled by the Commission last week.

According to Bill Gates "Europe's role will shape global action, what happens to people in need." Gates, who recently met the Parliament´s Development Committee, recognises the European´s commitment to development aid. In spite of the European economic crisis and its effects, he remains hopeful of continued European support: “[...]it is critical that you continue your leadership and we continue working together and caring for each other”.As the EU is the largest development aid donor in the world, he stresses that Europe “helped save millions of lives”. Notably, reaching out to Europeans he says: "You should feel very proud of what you have done".Praising the "amazing progress" over the past 50 years, he says investment in health and agriculture in the world's poorest countries has yielded great results."Spreading out success stories and continuing to increase commitment (to aid) in the name of humanity", he concludes.

According to the Parliament's International Trade Committee (INTA), given that the EU is the biggest consumer of chocolate it must take responsibility for sustainability of the cocoa sector. MEPs recommended the Parliament to give its consent to a new International Cocoa Agreement and adopted a resolution calling for action against the use of child labour in the sector.Rapporteur Vital Moreira (S&D, PT) stressed that as they believed that this was a serious issue that could not be overlooked, they "decided to raise the issue by means of a resolution" .The resolution, to be voted by Parliament's plenary in March, acknowledges the pressure on producers to keep labour costs down, but calls on cocoa traders, EU policy makers and consumers to share responsibility in addressing child labour. MEPs say a holistic framework is needed to ensure fair and sustainable trade.

European chair of the G77 group of developing nations, Pa Ousman, recently told Euractiv that an increase in the EU’s carbon emissions reduction target to 30% on 1990 levels within eight years is ‘very fundamental’ to the developing world’s interests. He stresses that raising the EU’s 2020 target from 20% to 30% would be far cheaper than thought because of the fall in European economic activity. Moreover, he said that he thinks “[…]that we now have an opportunity for the EU to ensure that a second Kyoto Protocol commitment period is realized […] because that was a rallying point for a lot of parties.” The Durban Climate Change Summit in December agreed an roadmap for negotiations to conclude a global climate treaty with binding emissions reduction targets by 2015. This treaty would come into force no later than 2020.Source: Euractiv

As called for in a decision by the Eighth WTO Ministerial Conference, the accession process of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) is expected to be improved: The Sub-Committee on LDCs recently agreed to start work on developing recommendations to “further strengthen, streamline and operationalise” the current guidelines. Some of the LDCs in the process of acceding to the WTO are: Ethiopia, Laos, Liberia, Comoros, Sao Tome & Principe, Sudan, and Equatorial Guinea. Speaking on behalf of the LDC Group, Bangladesh said that the decision on LDC accession was a significant result of the Eighth Ministerial Conference, and urged members to adhere to the deadline of July 2012 to complete the work. The European Union along with Australia, China, Hong Kong (China), Japan, Turkey and the United States said to participate constructively in the upcoming consultations to ensure a productive outcome that would further facilitate the accession of LDCs to the WTO.The next formal meeting of the Sub-Committee will take place next April 2012.

As we reported this week, five members of the European Parliament launched a Written Declaration on Science Capacity Building in Africa promoting European African radio astronomy partnerships. One of the declaration makers, Fiona Hall, who is leader of the Liberal Democrat group in the European Parliament, has written an article where lists the reasons why partnerships between the EU and Africa can help deliver on the Millennium Development Goals.Remarkably she has stated : “Now Africa is bidding to host the Square Kilometer Array or SKA - the most powerful radio telescope ever conceived which seeks to provide answers to fundamental questions about the origin and evolution of the universe. Africa, as a continent, has a competitive advantage in the study of radio astronomy because of its astronomically rich southern sky, low levels of radio frequency interference and very little light pollution; a unique combination of geographical and socioeconomic conditions making southern Africa an ideal candidate to host the radio telescopes of the future”. “If Africa is allowed to play an increasing role in the global knowledge economy - then science will be able to make a very significant, durable and effective contribution to Africa's human, social and economic development”, she concluded.

As part of its Micro-interventions Programme, the Office of Development Cooperation of the Embassy of Belgium in Niamey, Niger, calls for proposals for small-scale development projects.The objective of the programme is to promote sustainable human development in economic, social and cultural areas. Applications must be submitted by March 30, 2012, at 12:30.

Mairead McGuinness MEP at the European Parliament, who has co-authored the Farm Input Supply Chain Report on behalf of the EPP Group, recently explained that the text adopted by Parliament examines current market structures and identifies significant problems in the input sector. "To achieve food security, people must, at all times, have access to sufficient quantities of nutritious, safe food. To achieve a sustainable food supply chain, food pricing also needs to be balanced so it is affordable while maintaining a fair return to farmers", she stated.She suggested policy options aimed at reducing farm input costs, while also improving the overall position of farmers in the food supply chain. As a recent press release reported, since 2000, total input costs for farmers across the EU have increased on average by almost 40%, with energy and fertiliser costs rising by 60 and 80% respectively. Farm gate prices have also increased by 25%, but the massive increase in input costs is creating a substantial imbalance between production costs and return on investment.

The Group of the European People‘s Party (EPP) in the European Parliament has recently re-elected itsChairman Joseph Daul. J. Daul, who has been Chairman since 2007, will lead the EPP until he next European Elections in 2014. Likewise, the Vice-Chairmen of the EPP Group elected or re-elected are Vito Bonsignore, Gunnar Hökmark, Ioannis Kasoulides, Marian Jean Marinescu, Jaime Mayor Oreja, Jan Olbrycht, Paulo Rangel, József Szájer, Manfred Weber and Corien Wortmann-Kool.

As the European involvement in African science, and especially in current radio astronomy projects, seems to present a unique opportunity to bridge the traditional divide between developed and developing economies, MEPs call upon their colleagues to support scientific partnerships between Europe and Africa. This will also contribute to attaining the Millennium Development Goals. Five members of the European Parliament, namely Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez (S&D), Filip Kaczmarek (EPP), Fiona Hall (ALDE), Judith Sargentini (GREENS) and Teresa Riera Madurell (S&D), have launched a Written Declaration on Science Capacity Building in Africa promoting European African radio astronomy partnerships. The European involvement in African radio astronomy is expected to be a possible driver of socioeconomic change that can create new market opportunities for both continents. The declaration is open for signatures until February 16 2012.

Over the next three years the UK will provide 58 million pounds ($90.3 million) to Zambia. Funding will focus on health, education, water and social security development projects.The U.K Department for International Development (DfID) is expected to spend some 25 million pounds of the total grant in 2012. Aside from the identified priority areas, DfID is set to increase its investments in the country’s agriculture and infrastructure sectors.According to Mike Hammond, head of the local DfID office, “[t]he money will ensure that an additional 54,000 rural people have access to safe water by 2014, keep an additional 50,000 children in school every year and provide an additional 42,000 households with access to electricity by 2015”. This grant is part of the United Kingdom’s pledge to spend some 235 million pounds in development aid to Zambia from 2011-2015.

Following the presentation of "Agenda for change", the EC is drafting a Communication on 'Social Protection in EU Development Cooperation' to be adopted in 2012. This consultation seeks to collect opinions on EU strategy and options for supporting social protection in its development cooperation with partner countries.The EC welcomes contributions from all citizens, public authorities and stakeholders in Europe and third countries: Member States, EU institutions, national, regional and local authorities, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, international financing institutions, academia, social partners and civil society organisations.

As we reported last December, though South Sudan is not yet a signatory to the Cotonou Agreement, EU Member States decided to bridge this current funding gap with an ad-hoc allocation from unused money of the 9th and previous EDFs to support the implementation of the three year Southern Sudan Development Plan (2011 to 2013). Debating on South Sudan at the 3142nd FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting, ministers welcomed the joint programming in Juba of EU and its Member States development assistance which is expected to provide almost €700 million for that period.Notably, the EU reconfirms its commitment to continue cooperation with South Sudan on trade matters with a view to granting duty free, quota free access under the "Everything But Arms" arrangement as soon as the conditions are met."

The Danish Presidency presented its agricultural and fisheries work programme at the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council this week. Although the Presidency does not intend to finish the reform of the CAP, it will leave prepare the work for following presidencies. Furthermore, it aims to make agriculture greener, more sustainable, with fewer administrative burdens whilst ensuring high-quality and safe production and a high level of animal welfare.The Presidency believes that one of the solutions to achieve a greener and more sustainable agriculture could be the use of environmentally -nature- and climate-friendly farming methods, these latter expected to be developed through innovation and research in agriculture. Regarding the fisheries policy reform, the Council will aim to conclude the debate on the reform package, which consists of a new basic regulation, a new common market organisation and a new European maritime and fisheries fund for 2014-2020.Following the keen interest of the Presidency, the Council will consider the new animal welfare strategy presented by the Commission at the 23 January Council meeting. One of the Presidency's main aims is to reduce the amounts of unwanted catch and bring an end to the practice of discarding.

Two new members, H.E Mr Badri Ali Bogoreh, Ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti to Brussels and H.E Mr Wilfred Eduard Christopher, Ambassador of the Republic of Suriname, have been recently welcomed by the ACP Committee of Ambassadors. They will be the new representatives of their respective countries to the ACP Group of States.Notably, Ambassador Ajay K Bramdeo, Chief Director of Africa Multilateral, was also presented as the new emissary for the African Union. Ambassador Bogoreh, a career diplomat, is the former Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti, as well as a lawyer specialising in international law. Ambassador Christopher, also a lawyer, was appointed First Secretary to the Embassy of Suriname in Washington DC from 1991 to 1994, before returning to his country at the end of his diplomatic tour of duty to become the Deputy Head of Asia, Africa and Oceania (AZAF) desk.

If Malawi does not return to the suspended IMF programme, it could lose more EU financial support. European Union (EU) Ambassador Alexander Baum has recently said that the EU disbursed 52.2 million euros to Malawi under various programmes during 2011 and entered into new commitments of 55.2 million euros “[representing] a dramatic reduction of about 100 million euros in grant money compared to the previous year 2010”“Whereas the EU’s disbursements for projects remained stable in 2011, the reduction is almost entirely due to the fact that budget support operations have been put on hold as the EU is unable to implement this type of programmes under the government’s current economic policies in the absence of an agreement with the IMF”, Baum adds.Baum underlines that the resumption of general budget support will require the agreement from EU member states in the European Development Fund (EDF) committee and will take into account Malawi’s current governance situation.

In light of the 50th anniversary of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), a recent article published by Capreform, a blog that brings together the views and analyses of researchers, activists and analysts on the CAP, conducts an overview. Although Alan Matthews, author of this piece, recognises some benefits of the CAP, he also states “[b]ut these benefits were bought at a very high price […] It distorted the global trading system to the detriment of developing countries”.On a positive note, Matthews says that “[it] helped to stabilise farm prices for EU farmers over the past 50 years and by reducing risk it encouraged farmers to make the investments which contributed to the modernisation of European agriculture over that period […] And yes, more recently, the CAP has begun to take responsibility for paying farmers for the public goods which are otherwise neglected in production-oriented agriculture”. Nevertheless, the author stresses that the CAP, in addition to having provoked adverse effects in developing countries, “[has] prevented resources from moving into more productive sectors” as the protection to European agricultural production is considerably high.

Danish ministers present this week the priorities of Denmark's Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers to European Parliament committees. Notably, economic and interior affairs minister Margrethe Vestager underlines the role of the European Parliament in promoting co-operation among the EU 27 Member States.The key priorities are the "two pack" regulations to step up surveillance of budgetary policies and the economic and fiscal surveillance of euro area countries facing serious financial instability, as Ms Vestager recently told the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. Other priorities include strengthening economic governance rules, financial crisis management, co-operation on tax matters and energy taxation to meet climate targets.

Source: European Parliament

Priorities to be presented to EP committees

Danish ministers present this week the priorities of Denmark's Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers to European Parliament committees. Notably, economic and interior affairs minister Margrethe Vestager underlines the role of the European Parliament in promoting co-operation among the EU 27 Member States.

The key priorities are the "two pack" regulations to step up surveillance of budgetary policies and the economic and fiscal surveillance of euro area countries facing serious financial instability, as Ms Vestager recently told the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee.

As of 2012, 50 years have passed since the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was implemented, the European Commission has launched the CAP@50 communication campaign to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Common Agricultural Policy. Dacian Cioloş, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development , has said: "2012 is an important year not only to remember the past 50 years of history, but especially for us to look ahead towards a new reform of the Common Agricultural Policy"."Back in 1962, Europeans were predominantly worried about having enough food on their plates. Today food security remains important, but we have also new concerns such as climate change and the sustainable use of natural resources. This campaign will help to reflect on this evolution", she concluded. The year-long communication campaign includes an interactive website, an itinerant exhibition, audio-visual and printed materials, as well as a series of events in Brussels and the Member States.